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<h1 align="center"><span class="pagetitle">About Frames in HTML...</span><br>
<font size=2>= <span class="sitetitle">Index DOT Html</span> by <a href="../../misc/email.htm">Brian Wilson</a> =</font></h1>
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<table border=3 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0>
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     <td valign=top align=center>
     <a href="#justify">Justification</a> |
     <a href="#usage">Usage</a><br>
     <a href="#use">Frames: To Use or Not?</a> </td>
</tr>
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     <td valign=top align=center><big><a href="#related">Related Sites</a></big></td>
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<a name="justify"></a>
<dl>
<dt><big><b class="mainheading">Justification for Frames</b></big>
    <dd>The &quot;Frame&quot; feature set in HTML was created by Netscape
        for version 2.0 of its Navigator product. It allows the browser window to
        be sub-divided into smaller viewable areas for use in keeping certain content
        constant while other content is scrolled or replaced. Each of these areas
        (also known as <em>&quot;frames&quot;</em>) represent a completely separate
        sub-document which can be individually controlled and addressed. Frames also
        allow an author to specify the placement and usage behaviors of these embedded
        HTML sub-documents. It is a very nice concept, but as specified only works
        essentially as a visual paradigm - eg: how would a Braille browser present
        frames? In addition, the visual results of a document layout specified with
        frames is often VERY resolution dependent. An alternate navigation sometimes
        offered for frames is a simple navigable list of sub-frame documents.
        <br><br>

        <b class="alert">Note:</b> At least one of the fundamental problems with
        the original design of framed documents has been addressed by HTML 4.0.
        It broadens the scope of the NOFRAMES element so that it can be
        used in sub-documents as well as in the frame layout document. This allows
        for better backward compatibility and reduces the need for multiple versions
        of the same document. Repeatable sections which would normally be in separate
        frames can now exist in NOFRAMES elements in subdocuments as well - older
        browsers will see the noframes content and frames-capable browsers will ignore it.
</dl>
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<a name="usage"></a>
<dl>
<dt><big><b class="mainheading">Frames Usage</b></big>
<dt>[ &lt;<a href="f/frameset.htm">frameset</a>&gt;, &lt;<a href="f/frame.htm">frame</a>&gt;,
    &lt;<a href="n/noframes.htm">noframes</a>&gt; ]
<dt><b class="subheading">Frameset:</b>
    <dd>This element controls the layout of sub-documents on the browser
        display. It allows the display to be divided up into a specified
        number of rows or columns with specific or dynamic sizes. Each
        frameset structure can be further divided into more rows and columns
        by nesting other FRAMESET structures within its contents.
<dt><b class="subheading">Frame:</b>
    <dd>This is the element that actually defines what the content of the
        frame will be. This element indicates a URL of a document to place
        within the space provided for it by the FRAMESET layout definition.
        Other properties of displaying the frame, such as resizing and
        scrolling capability, are also controlled through this element.
<dt><b class="subheading">Noframes:</b>
    <dd>The FRAMESET element takes the place that is normally occupied by the
        BODY element. This eliminates the traditional structure of an HTML
        document, so the NOFRAMES element comes to the rescue in these
        situations. This element allows for backward compatibility with older
        browsers by allowing a traditional BODY structure to be placed within
        a NOFRAMES element. Browsers that DO support frames will ignore the
        NOFRAMES element, and older browsers will only see the traditional
        HTML document structure in place. All browsers <em>should</em> be happy.
</dl>
<br>

<a name="use"></a>
<dl>
<dt><big><b class="mainheading">Frames: To Use or Not?</b></big>
<dt>There are many readers out there who do <em>NOT</em> like to read
    pages that use frames. Indeed, there are some compelling arguments against
    their use. Such arguments mostly involve issues with the speed and
    implementation of the frames concept.
    There are situations when their use is also very helpful, and the arguments
    in favor of frames in these cases is for better intuitive navigation. In
    the end, it is the author that must decide whether to create a document
    using frames or not, and whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

     <dd><br><b class="subheading">Advantages to Using Frames</b>
     <dd>
     <ul type=disc>
     <li>Elements that the user should always see (such as navigation bars,
         copyrights, and titles) only need to be specified once.
     <li>Table of contents are more intuitive - One frame can contain a Table
         of contents that can be clicked upon. The results can be displayed in
         an adjoining frame.
     <li>Side-by-side presentation of multiple documents allows queries to
         be posed and answered on the same page.
     </ul>

     <dd><br><b class="subheading">Disadvantages to Using Frames</b>
     <dd>
     <ul type=disc>
     <li>Frame layout is often heavily dependent on resolution. Unintended
         scrollbars are often displayed which can eclipse the frame content.
     <li>Reduction of the overall amount of usable space for sub-document
         content usually occurs as the number of sub-frames increases.
     <li>An extra download request must be made for each sub-frame. Each of
         these requests can be more and more costly as the download bandwidth
         for the user is reduced.
     </ul>
</dl>
<br>

<a name="related"></a>
<br>
<dl>
<dt><big><b class="mainheading">Related Sites</b></big>
<dt><b class="subheading">Official References</b>
<dt><a href="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/" class="relevant">http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/</a>
    <dd><span class="relevant">The HTML 4.0 Recommendation<br>
        [Includes all 2.0, and 3.2 elements plus frames syntax for the first time]</span>
<dt><a href="http://wp.netscape.com/assist/net_sites/frames.html">http://wp.netscape.com/assist/net_sites/frames.html</a>
    <dd><span class="relevant">Netscape's official documentation for frames</span>
<dt><a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/author/html/reference/elements.asp">http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/author/html/reference/elements.asp</a>
    <dd><span class="relevant">Internet Explorer Tag reference<br>
        [Details frame usage and IFRAME syntax]</span>

<br><br>

<dt><b class="subheading">Tutorials</b>
<dt><a href="http://sharkysoft.com/tutorials/frames/" class="relevant">http://sharkysoft.com/tutorials/frames/</a>
    <dd><span class="relevant">Charlton D. Rose's Netscape Frames Tutorial</span>
<dt><a href="http://manda.com/frames/" class="relevant">http://manda.com/frames/</a>
    <dd><span class="relevant">WebSpinner's Frames Tutorial</span>
<dt><a href="http://www.hwg.org/resources/faqs/frameFAQ.html" class="relevant">http://www.hwg.org/resources/faqs/frameFAQ.html</a>
    <dd><span class="relevant">Matthew Miller's Frames FAQ</span>
<dt><a href="http://homepages.uc.edu/~solkode/w3guide/frames.html" class="relevant">http://homepages.uc.edu/~solkode/w3guide/frames.html</a>
    <dd><span class="relevant">Dave Solko's 'All about frames'</span>
<dt><a href="http://www.htmlhelp.com/design/frames/whatswrong.html" class="relevant">http://www.htmlhelp.com/design/frames/whatswrong.html</a>
    <dd><span class="relevant">'Guide to frames usage' - an analysis of many of the problems with the frames concept</span>
<dt><a href="http://www.bagism.com/frameshop/" class="relevant">http://www.bagism.com/frameshop/</a>
    <dd><span class="relevant">Frame Shop - Create a framed document structure by filling out a form.</span>

<br><br>

<dt><b class="subheading">Other Related Links</b>
<dt><a href="http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-layout.html" class="relevant">http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-layout.html</a>
    <dd><span class="relevant">W3C's draft for &quot;Frame-based layout via Style Sheets&quot; - a historically
        interesting proposal that never came to pass.</span>
</dl>

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